PEDAL TO THE METAL
IT was a year that put the brakes on just about everything. Freedom, security, work, family and travel; almost every aspect of our lives – including fun. Thankfully, 2020 is just a bad memory — notwithstanding the lasting effects — and 2021 is shaping with brighter hope as our nation fine tunes its coronavirus protocols and the vaccination rollout ramps up.
As our safety is further improved, the door is opening for wider social activity and the state government has put the pedal to the metal in that respect for motorsport fans by securing another major event.
The Australian Superbikes championship will hit our shores later this year, it was announced on Wednesday, for round seven of its national series on November 4-7.
It will be the first time since 2015 that the two-wheeled “pilots” have been to our state.
The Superbikes become part of the state’s motorsport Fab Four, along with Race Tasmania, the Supercars and Targa Tasmania.
Combined, these events will mobilise thousands of people and generate tens of millions of dollars for the economy.
The action kicks off this weekend with Race Tasmania holding a round at Symmons Plains, the state’s top circuit racing venue near Launceston, before heading south for a second round at Baskerville Raceway the following weekend.
Race Tasmania is the opening two rounds of the TCR Australia series for super-quick two-litre touring cars, which will be joined by S5000 open-wheelers, Touring Car Masters and the National Trans Am series.
It will bring almost 1000 competitors and support staff, mobilise motorsport fans and generate an estimated $3.2m for the local economy.
In April, the Supercars arrive for round three of the Australian championship at Symmons Plains on April 10-11, following rounds at Bathurst and Sandown, which replace the Adelaide 500 and Melbourne Grand Prix events respectively.
The Supercars bring more than 1000 competitors and support staff, about 5000 interstate fans in an event that attracts crowds of more than 50,000 over three days and generates about $9m.
No sooner have the Supercars gone, a wave of interstaters touch down for Targa Tasmania on April 19-24.
The competitors and their support crews will number around 1200 and an estimated 100,000 people will watch them do their thing as they cover all corners of the state.
That’s worth about $8m for the economy, making motorsport a healthy stimulus as we crawl out of our COVID-19 hole.
After the disappointment of no Sydney to Hobart yacht race, no Taste of Tasmania, no Falls music festival and no international cricket or tennis this summer, the road a little further ahead is looking brighter as we forge deeper into 2021.